Residents celebrate the opening of Wells Tower, I
think this was taken in 1965

The couple at the back and in the middle of the
photograph are Doll and Bill Leaver

11th October 2013

Ledsam
Street, 1954

Ledsam
Street, 1960

15th November 2009

Ledsam
Street, 1963

132
Ledsam Street, 1963

Ledsam
Street, 1962

Friston
Street, looking towards Ledsam Street, 1956

THE OLD DYNAMITE SHOP

On
the 5th of April 1883, police raided the premises at 128 Ledsam Street,
Ladywood and arrested the occupier, Alfred Whitehead.

He
was charged with making and distributing Dynamite.

Whitehead
was a member of the Home Rule party, who thought that by committing
massive acts of terrorism in England, they would succeed in making Ireland
"Free".

Funded
by money from sympathisers in New York, he quietly produced the explosive,
obtaining the ingredients from several different sources.

The
deliveries of the large amounts of materials attracted the attention of
one Gilbert Pritchard, who had a working knowledge of chemicals.

He
informed the police and the raid was carried out.

Although
a lot of the Dynamite had been distributed to co-conspirators in London,
there was still a massive amount left on the premises, in fact, if it had
gone up, the street maps of Birmingham would have needed rewriting. Just
going on sheer memory on what I remember about the Dynamite plot, which I
read about a few months ago, and I did copy the pictures out of the
newspaper of 1883 for future reference.

Alfred
George Whitehead came over from Ireland and as a cover for his activities
(He wanted home rule for Ireland etc) He rented a shop in Ledsam Street
and set up a painting and decorating store, and put a chap in charge to
run it.

His
real reason was to make Dynamite to blow up various Government buildings
and cause major panic, he had a number of co-conspirators in Liverpool and
London also there was a house in Kyotts Lake Road where fellow
conspirators Egan and Daley had rented.

To
make Nitro Glycerine you need Glycerine and Whitehead needed large
quantities of it, so pretending to be a Retail seller he bought a few
gallon of the stuff saying he was going to sell it on to hairdressers.

After
a few months the chap who was selling Whitehead the glycerine became
suspicious and went to the police.

The
house was watched and Whitehouse followed everywhere.

He
took a large box from New Street Station down to London where he met 2
more men at a lodging house, during this time the house in Ledsam Street
was entered by a detective using a skeleton key and large quantities of
Nitro Glycerine were found so it was decided to round the gang up, which
they did and unravelled the Dynamite plot.

Information
courtesy of Aston-through-Aston Manor website

179 - 181 Ledsam Street

Ledsam Street 8-13 rear of 179

Photograph taken 18 January 1954

Ledsam Street, November 1960

Ledsam Street rear of 179-181

This fantastic
photograph was sent to me by Roy White, many thanks

This
photograph was taken in 1953 - Queen Elizabeth was being driven up
Ledsam Street

The
factory workers were standing in Ryland Street, the signpost says
Essington Street / Broad Street about 10 feet on